


a different kind of ride

by messofunfinishedthoughts



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Amusement Parks, Awkward Flirting, Eventual Romance, Human Catra (She-Ra), Meet-Cute, Multi, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24722788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/messofunfinishedthoughts/pseuds/messofunfinishedthoughts
Summary: catra sees all sorts of people come and go from the theme park etheria, but none like this dumb blonde girl from bright moon academy- adora grayskull. why does she keep coming back? what's this feeling gnawing at catra when she least expects it? can she afford to open herself up to someone else, especially one of bright moon academy's stupid 'princesses'?
Relationships: Adora & Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora & Scorpia (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Angella/Micah (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra & Entrapta & Scorpia (She-Ra), Catra & Entrapta (She-Ra), Catra & Lonnie (She-Ra), Catra & Scorpia (She-Ra), George/Lance (She-Ra), Kyle & Lonnie & Rogelio (She-ra), Kyle/Rogelio (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 114





	1. it was supposed to be an average day

**Author's Note:**

> so, first of all, hi there!  
> i have never wrote a modern story in my life, she-ra or otherwise, so i'm sorry if this sucks, but i really wanted to flex my hand to something different.  
> anyway, without further adieu, please enjoy reading!

The day started just as the rest of them did. Snoozing the alarm clock twice, groggily falling out of bed, and making a half decent attempt at breakfast, only to discard it in favour of buying something on the way to work or school. The doorbell rang at exactly seven, just like it always did on work days. She wasn't even dressed yet. When the brunette girl swung the door open, she was greeted by a tall, grinning woman.  
"Morning Wildcat! I was beginning to think you wouldn't answer." The woman spoke.  
"You gotta give me time to get from the bathroom to the door, sheesh, Scorpia." Catra grumbles, moving to the side to let Scorpia past her. The short haired woman was looking clean and fresh in her work polo and shiny hair, whereas Catra was not even anywhere near ready yet. Her work polo was slung over the chair in her room, and God knows where her shorts were.  
"Sorry. My bad." Scorpia took a seat on Catra's sofa, grabbing a random magazine from the side. She made a few humming noises whilst flicking the pages, something Catra knew she did whenever clothes shopping.  
"Hey, I saw this jacket in there I thought you'd like. I marked it with a sticky note." Catra comments, walking back towards her bedroom to get dressed.  
"Oooh, sleeveless! I like it!" Scorpia exclaims, and Catra scoffs in an amused manner as she shuts the door.  
"Figured you would." She calls through, rummaging through her drawers for her trousers. "Aha, gotcha!" She grins, pulling the dark red shorts out from the drawer. She wasn't exactly a fan of wearing shorts, but her leggings had been ruined when she'd dropped her oil paints on them last week. She meant to buy some others, she really did, but she's just been so busy.  
"Hey, Scorp, can we go into Starbucks on the way in?" Catra shouts, tugging her red polo on. Thank God the uniform was red.  
"Have you been eating properly?" Scorpia responds. She always asked that whenever Catra asked for early morning Starbucks.  
"Yeah. Just fancy a coffee, that's all!"  
"You know takeaway isn't proper food." Scorpia chides as Catra walks out of her room, tucking in the polo. Scorpia points to the trash bin, which is slightly overflowing with the remains of last night's dinner- an impromptu kebab.  
"Look, I'm fine, I've just been really busy."  
"How come?" Scorpia asks, setting down the magazine.  
"It's nothing, my art tutor's just being really demanding." Catra groans. "I can't even see my desk with everything that's on it." "Oh, wow. I thought my Music coursework was stressful, but I can still see my desk."  
"Yeah, but you're Scorpia. Organisation is like, your thing."  
"That's true. Speaking of, we'll be late if we don't get a hurry on. We still gotta get you some Starbucks coffee. Any thoughts on what you want yet?" Scorpia asks, as Catra picks up her keys and phone.  
"Not sure."

It's only eleven am, and already Catra wishes she was back at home. Actually, she'd rather be anywhere than here. And considering she works at the most popular theme park around, that was really saying something. The perkiness from this morning's caramel Frappuccino was beginning to wear off.  
"-so that's my theory on why tini food trumps all other food." A familiar voice says nearby. Looking up, Catra first sees the source of the voice, a girl with long purple pigtails, with bright pink eyeshadow.  
"Of course Entrapta's talking about tini food again." Catra mumbles, with a roll of her eyes. The girl with pigtails- Entrapta- is accompanied by a group of three people, two female, one male.  
"I mean, that's not a bad theory." One of the people with her concludes. He is tall, but not too tall, with dark brown hair.  
"Yeah, but like, what good is tiny cake?" One of the girls asks. She is shorter than everyone else in the group, and her hair is a similar shade to Entrapta's, but much shorter.  
"Ah, Catra! Hi!" Entrapta waves, coming over to Catra's booth.  
"Hi, Entrapta. Uh, shouldn't you be over at the Fright Zone right now?" Catra asks, checking the clock behind her.  
"You're right! I hadn't realised. Well, I'll get going, but settle a debate amongst these three." Entrapta references the group.  
"But that isn't my-" Entrapta is already jogging through the gates to her work station. "-job." Catra finishes, sighing, before turning to the trio in front of her.  
"Welcome to Etheria, the largest and most thrilling theme park around. Can I see your tickets?" Catra asks, determined not to get into a debate about tiny food or cake. The third member of the party in front of her, a blonde girl, steps forward. Her hair is up in a ponytail, with what Catra can only describe as a dumb little poof at the forefront of her head. She sports a white turtleneck, grey shorts and a Bright Moon Academy red denim jacket.  
"Here you go!" She holds forward three blue tickets, with such a wide grin on her face, Catra is able to deduce only one thing; this girl is wayyyy too smiley for this time of the day. Definitely one of Bright Moon Academy's students.  
"Thanks." Catra says, taking the tickets, and scanning them, before handing them back over. She pulls some wristbands from the box next to her, and looks back up at the blonde.  
"Can I have your wrist?"  
"You can't have it, but you can certainly put one of those wristbands on it." The girl quips, holding her arm out. Catra allows herself a small smile at that, tying the band around the blonde's wrist. As she does so, she feels a jolt of electricity pulse through her, and a small, yet detectable, increase in her heart rate. As she drops the blonde's wrist, and moves onto her friends, she feels the jolt of electricity disappear, but the heart rate increase still remains.  
"Have a wonderfully Etherian day." Catra hates saying that stupid phrase, it's the worst part of her welcome. "I personally recommend The Fright Zone and The Crimson Waste as the best areas around the park, but it depends on if you like the more dangerous rides." Catra informs with a shrug, speaking more to the blonde than to the group as a whole.  
"A girl of danger are you," The blonde squints her eyes at the name badge pinned to the brunette's uniform. "Catra?" The blonde allows herself a smile.  
"S'pose so." Catra responds with another shrug.  
"Hey, you're holding up the queue!" A middle-aged man shouts from behind. The blonde scratches her neck awkwardly.  
"Oops. Sorry, we'd better get going. Bye, Catra!" The blonde hurries off with her friends, leaving Catra with her mouth slightly open. She hadn't even had a chance to ask the girl's name. She made sure to be particularly chilly with the man who had interrupted them.  
\------------  
"Hey, Wildcat! How's your day so far?" Scorpia asked as she arrived at Catra's ticket booth to collect her friend for their lunch break. There was never any time to go outside of the park, so they usually ended up going to the Crimson Waste Tavern in The Crimson Waste section of the park. Catra found it much better than the small canteen over in The Fright Zone.  
"Same old." Catra says, as she throws on her black jacket over the uniform. The last thing she needed was more people bothering her on the one break she got all day. As she walked out of the booth, Scorpia nudged her.  
"What's troubling my bestie?" The taller woman asks.  
"I told you to stop calling me your bestie. I mean, we are best friends, but the word 'bestie' ruins my street cred." Catra chides. "Although, if we're on the subject of what's bothering me, there was this one guy who really ticked me off during my shift." Catra reveals, drawing the attention of her friend.  
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Scorpia asks.  
"Entrapta came in for her shift with some friends, and left me with them so I could, you know, scan their tickets. One of them, this blonde girl, she seemed different from them, in a good way, but then when I was recommending where was best in the park, some guy started yelling that she- I mean, that the group, were holding up the lines. Honestly, it took everything I had to not just yell at him that it's my pay cheque this affects, and not his."  
"Wow, what a jerk."  
"I know right!" Catra flung her arms out. "I didn't even get the girl's name, which ticked me off even more."  
"Oooh, is my bestie crushing?"  
"I just said about the word bestie." Catra groans.  
"Sorry, sorry." Scorpia says, but smirks. "But that wasn't a no to you crushing on her."  
"Yes it was! I do not-!"  
"Scorpia!" A voice calls, and the two women turn. Catra's mouth falls open. Approaching her and Scorpia is that blonde girl, and her two friends.  
"Oh, hey, it's the ticket booth girl." The boy comments.  
"She has a name, Bow." The purple-haired girl states.  
"Catra. Her name's Catra." The blonde tells.  
"Yeah, you would remember." Bow grins, nudging the blonde, who narrows her eyes at him.  
"Hey, guys! Wow, it's been forever since we saw each other!" Scorpia grins, holding the trio in a tight hug. Catra's not at all surprised that Scorpia's hugs are as tight for everyone else as they are for her.  
"Forever? We saw each other last weekend, Scorpia." Glimmer laughs, as Scorpia breaks the embrace.  
"Exactly, forever!"  
"Have you finished your shift?" The blonde asks, but her sight isn't on Scorpia.  
It's on Catra.  
"Me?" The brunette asks. "Well, yeah." The blonde responds. "Oh. No, I haven't. Me and Scorpia are just on our lunch break." Catra explains. The blonde physically deflates at this, but recovers quickly. "Okay. Well, we'd better leave you guys to it. Come on guys, the queue for Mara's Ship is getting pretty big, and I wanna ride it before we leave." The blonde says, before walking away with her friends. "You know them?" Catra inquires. "Adora." Scorpia says once she and Catra start walking towards the Crimson Waste Tavern. "What? Are you asking me if I adore that blonde girl now?" Catra asks. Scorpia laughs, further confusing Catra. "No, her name is Adora. Adora Grayskull, if you wanna search her up on Instagram." "Adora? That is such a dumb name. And have you seen that dumb little poof she does with her hair?" The brunette scoffs. "I mean, I always thought it drew attention to her gigantic forehead, but I love Adora, so I'd never tell her that. At first, I was resolved not to like her, because, you know, her name is Adora. Like, everyone loves you, I get it. But she's honestly just the nicest person ever. Oh gosh, she'd be so good for you!" "No. I am not having any type of relationship with her, friendship or otherwise, got it? I'm probably not even gonna see her again. And I am not searching her up on Instagram. That would look so weird." "Whatever you say, Wildcat."


	2. get out of my head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a look into some of catra's friendships (lonnie and perfuma)

Catra could have sworn that Octavia hated her employees. Did she not understand that most of her workers were university students? You'd think with Octavia formerly being a Horde University leaver that she'd be more lenient towards her and Lonnie, but that apparently was not the case.  
"Has she swapped your shifts around too?" She asks, turning back around with a dish in her hands, to face her phone, which is propped up against her microwave. Lonnie, who she is currently video calling, nods her head.   
"She swapped my shift from tomorrow afternoon to tonight. I told her that I have basketball practice, but she wasn't having it, so Coach ain't happy about that."  
"Bet you aren't. Isn't your match in, like, two weeks?"  
"Exactly!"  
"I mean, I can see if I can swap our shifts around." Catra offers, checking the rota on her fridge. "My shift is right before yours tomorrow, it just depends on your lessons."  
"I don't have any tomorrow, it's my free day, that's why I got so annoyed when Octavia changed my shifts around."  
"I've got a shift this afternoon in...one sec..." Catra scans the rota again. "The Fright Zone. I'll talk to Octavia about it then. She likes Scorpia, so I'm hoping if I bring her with me, that'll come in useful." Catra tells, pulling open the cupboard above the microwave. There's got to be something decent to eat somewhere.  
"You'd do that, seriously?"  
"Yeah, why not. Besides, it'll stop Scorpia banging on about this girl we met at Etheria the other day. I'll take her mocking me for swapping shifts with you so you can practice for your game over anything." Catra admits, pulling out a can of soup.   
"Ugh." She groans, but places it on the side anyway.   
"I thought she was with Perfuma." Lonnie says, tilting her head to the side.   
"She is. She thinks I was interested in this blonde girl we met, and that she was interested in me, or whatever, but it's so stupid. Like, this girl's best friend is called Glimmer. Can you believe it? And the girl herself has an even dumber name." Catra rolls her eyes.  
"Adora by any chance?" Lonnie asks.   
"How'd you know that? Scorpia been telling you about her too?" Catra grumbles, but Lonnie shakes her head.   
"Nah, I've known her since we were kids." Lonnie reveals.   
"Did not know that." Catra murmurs, whilst pouring her soup in a bowl.  
"Yeah. We go to the gym together sometimes. You could always come with us. She does boxing like you do. She's pretty good at it too."  
"I'll pass, thanks. I'm not intending to see her again." Catra places the bowl in the microwave, and grabs her phone so that the whirring doesn't interrupt her call.  
"You know, Catra, she is into girls."  
"Lonnie-"  
"I'm just sayin', that's all. If you were ever going to get yourself a serious girlfriend, Adora wouldn't be a bad place to start." Lonnie tells. "I gotta go, Kyle's just got back from the shop, and he's already dropping everything. Let me know how it goes with Octavia." Lonnie hangs up before Catra can even say goodbye, but she's kind of used to that. Kyle is a klutz, he would definitely drop his head if it wasn't attached. He's broken more bones than Catra even cares to count. As she waits for the soup, Catra dials Scorpia's number into her phone.  
"Hey, Scorp. I need a favour."  
\------------  
For the record, when Catra had offered to swap her shifts with Lonnie, she had completely forgotten that she also had a night shift today. So now, here she was, working a double shift. But, she reminded herself, things could be worse. A double shift worked in the Fright Zone wasn't too bad, all in all. Working a double shift, or rather just any shift, in Mystacor or the Whispering Woods would be the end of her. Catra had to admit, the Fright Zone wasn't her favourite place in the park. That honour went to the Crimson Waste. She often went there with Scorpia on the days they had free from University and work, but they hadn't been in a while. Ever since Scorpia had began her relationship with Perfuma, Catra rarely saw her outside of work. She didn't resent Perfuma, in fact, quite the opposite. When she'd first met the tanned bleach blonde haired girl, she had been a little overwhelmed by her perkiness, but now, they were good friends. So good that Perfuma was literally Catra's therapist. Not a paid one mind, but she could be. Catra had suggested it as a possible career option many a time, but Perfuma was insistent that her true career lay in the art of gardening. Catra couldn't go anywhere near a garden without antihistamine's to block her allergies.  
Catra sighed as she sat filing her nails, listening to the hubbub of the theme park around her. Many people left the park with grins on their faces, but Catra was never one of them, unless she was leaving with Scorpia and Entrapta on one of those rare days they all visited. Outside of her colleagues, Catra didn't really have a massive friendship group. Scorpia had been the first real friend she had, shortly followed by Entrapta, who certainly made things...interesting. It was Entrapta who would be picking her up from work tonight once she'd finished her own shift in the Whispering Woods section of the park.   
"Heyyy, Wildcat!" Catra looked up, seeing Scorpia and Perfuma, accompanied by that dumb blonde- Adora Grayskull. With them stood another two girls- one a dark-skinned girl with deep teal hair, and the other with pale skin and dark blue hair.   
"Hey, Scorpia. Making the most of your free tickets I see?" Catra smiles.   
"I had a ton that run out soon, so I thought I'd use them tonight. I was going to invite you, but you swapped your shifts with Lonnie, so..." Scorpia says.   
"Oh, I'm sorry, Scorp." Catra frowns.  
"It's okay! It was soooo nice of you to swap yours and Lonnie's shifts!" Scorpia beams, whilst Catra just rolls her eyes.   
"I told you before, we're not talking about this. It was a favour for a friend, no biggie." The brunette tells in a disregarding tone.   
"Brought Blondie here with you, huh?" Catra gestures to Adora. "Guess Etheria made an impression on you, huh?"   
"Something like that." Adora smiles, watching as Catra scans over the wristband on her wrist. "And it's Ad-"  
"Adora, I know." Catra cuts her off, but realises how she sounds. "I, um...Scorpia told me, after you and your friends left the other day." Catra fumbles with her words, quickly moving on from Adora's wristband to Perfuma's.  
"Right." Adora smirks.   
"Oh yeah, Wildcat, this is Frosta and Mermista." Scorpia introduces, gesturing to the two girls other than Adora. Catra waves.  
"Catra. But Scorpia calls me Wildcat." The brunette introduces herself, taking Mermista's wrist and scanning the wristband.  
"Good to know." Mermista acknowledges.   
"Do you wear contacts?" Frosta immediately asks. Catra freezes up, as does Scorpia. Frosta does not notice, and continues. "Because, no offence, I'm not sure if I like your face or not." The brunette blinks, feeling a pain in her chest. She looks up at Perfuma desperately. The bleach-blonde mouths a single word to her: breathe.   
"You know, I think we should just get on the ride now. Nice seeing you, Wildcat!" Scorpia rushes the group off, and away onto the first ride they see- Black Garnet. Catra inhales deeply, a few times over. By the time her next visitor arrives, she's mostly back to normal, but still. Are her eyes really that bad to look at?  
\------------  
"Hey, Perfuma." Catra says, when answering the door to the familiar dark-eyed girl two days later.  
"Hi, Catra. Once again, I am so sorry about not being able to come around yesterday."  
"It's fine, don't worry." Catra says as Perfuma takes a seat on her sofa. She looks around the apartment, and gives a satisfied hum.   
"I have to say, Catra, it's really looking nice in here." Perfuma compliments.   
"Thanks." Catra says, taking a seat on the chair opposite the sofa. "My room's a mess, to be honest, but I figure that the rest of the apartment should at least look nice. It's a wonder I've had any time to tidy at all." Catra admits. Perfuma sets her hands in her lap.   
"Is that what you wanted to talk about? Not having a lot of time on your hands?"  
"Kinda. It's a lot really. I've, uh, been making notes, like you suggested." Catra hands over a leather bound book to Perfuma, who handles it with care, almost as if it is a fragile object. Perfuma looks up at Catra, who nods at her, before opening the first page. Perfuma has to admit, she knew that this book would include little doodles. Catra has an artistic soul, she's a mix of chaos and art.   
Perfuma reads over the first page carefully, taking in all the information it provides.   
"Wow, this week's been a long one, huh?" She asks. Catra sits back in the chair, exhaling.   
"You've no idea." Perfuma looks at her, with a raised brow. "Okay, maybe you do, a little." Catra says, noting the notebook in Perfuma's lap.   
"It's been really rough on you, I get that. Having no time to yourself is a big thing, I get that. But I think that the main thing here is Frosta's comment. It really got to you." Perfuma says, and Catra puts a self-conscious arm on her other arm.  
"Are they horrible to look at?" She blurts out. Perfuma flinches, but she smiles gently at Catra.   
"Oh, no, they're really pretty, actually." Perfuma says. "Or at least that's what Ad...never mind." Perfuma quickly stops herself, but Catra is intrigued.  
"Were you gonna say Adora?" She asks. Perfuma smiles.   
"I was." She admits. "I think Scorpia's right, by the way. I definitely think you might be catching feelings for Adora."   
"What?! I am not! I don't even know her!" Perfuma folds her arms.   
"Okay, she's cute, whatever." Catra mumbles, causing Perfuma to grin, and clap her hands together.  
"That's wonderful!"  
"No, it's not. It's just a thought, Perfuma. I can think someone looks cute and not pursue any type of relationship."  
"But how many girls have you looked at and thought were cute?" Perfuma asks. Catra pauses.   
"Ugh, whatever. She's not interested, so it doesn't matter."  
"If you say so." Perfuma chimes, before rising. "Now, I have a meditation session to attend. I'll see you next week for another session." Perfuma sees herself out, leaving Catra on the sofa, with her notebook. She flips open the book to a new page, and grabs a pen from the side. 

Day Three, Entry Topic: Adora Grayskull.


	3. maybe i think of her now and then

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> adora makes an attempt to get to know catra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i think i'm going to do a little reconstruction with the last chapter.  
> i feel like this is starting off slow, but i promise, we're hitting the main plot now

Of all of the majors she could have chosen, of course Catra had decided to go with Art.  
She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she added the finishing touches to her newest piece, a few sparks of glitter here, a dotting of white paint there.  
"Done!" She exclaimed, to particularly no one, swinging her chair back. She grabs her phone and opens up Snapchat to her group chat with Scorpia and Entrapta.  
Super Pal Trio  
Me: Finally finished that dumb project  
Sighing, the brunette grabs her paint brushes and walking through to the bathroom. She runs the hot water in the sink, and puts the brushes in the water, scrubbing at them, picking the paint out of the bristles. The piece she'd just finished was a little different than her usual style, but her Art tutor had been really demanding lately about a piece themed around night time in the city, so Catra had put together a piece illustrating a night sky, with the silhouette of Etheria below it. Though Catra sometimes hated her job, given how many visitors were rude to her, and how gross they could be, she loved Etheria itself. It provided her with a lot of inspiration for her Art.  
When the brushes are clean, Catra scoops them up and empties the sink, padding back to her room, and setting the brushes back into a pot on the desk. She yawns, scanning her eyes over the clock on her wall- 3:07AM.  
"Ugh, why do I do this to myself?" Catra grumbles, climbing under the sheets of her bed, settling her head into her pillow.  
\------------  
The alarm blares at quarter to eight Catra doesn't even bother to snooze the alarm, she's got one hell of a day ahead of her. Lectures start at nine, so she's got to hurry. After she gets washed and dressed, she rings Scorpia whilst grabbing a bag, and throwing her (for once) folded work uniform inside.  
"Morning Wildcat! I'm just pulling up outside now." Scorpia informs, as the brunette grabs a pastry from the box on the side.  
"That's great. Just wait down there, I'll be down in a minute. I'm just finishing off some croissants. Want one?" Catra offers. Scorpia's thrilled gasp is audible through the phone, and Catra groans, knowing what's coming next.  
"Gosh, that is so nice of you!"  
"You want one or not?" The brunette asks, throwing her keys and phone in her bag. She grabs her art portfolio from the table, taking a final glance over last night/this morning's work. "Yeah sure!" "Okay, just wait in the car park." Catra instructs, before walking out of the door, and jogging down the stairs, through the door and out to the car park, where Scorpia's black car awaited her, with the windows down. "Good morning!" Scorpia shouts out the window. "Morning." Catra calls back. She passes the final croissant to Scorpia after she gets into the front seat. "Hey, I grabbed you a Frappuccino on the way." Scorpia gestures to a Starbucks cup in the cupholder. Catra grins. "Just what I needed, thanks Scorp." "No problem. So, wanna explain why you were active in the group chat at 3am?"  
"Ugh, don't start." Catra groans, throwing her head in her hands. Scorpia keeps her interested expression, so Catra gives in.  
"Fine, this is how it started..." She begins.  
\------------  
By the time Catra had reached her ticket booth at 12AM, she was close to clawing her hair out. To think she had five hours of work now before she would finally be able to go home and rest. With no customers in sight, the brunette pulls out her phone, scrolling through Instagram. She scrolls down, passing some concert dates for hers and Scorpia's favourite band, making sure to screenshot so that she could pose the idea to the white-haired woman. Within minutes, the booth has a long queue in front of it, and Catra is trying her best to put on her most charming smile. Most visitors were just tourists intent on seeing what made Etheria so special, so they were pleasant enough, but some could be really picky, or downright rude. Catra really does wonder how she hasn't been fired for how many people she's snapped at.  
When its 4 o clock, Catra sighs in relief as Lonnie approaches her booth, ready to start her shift over in The Crimson Waste.  
"Hey." Lonnie greets, but catches onto Catra's annoyed expression.  
"Rough day?"  
"The worst." Catra groans.  
"Bad customers?"  
"This one guy accused me of being a fraud, or something, I wasn't really listening, just because I declined his discount voucher. It ran out two months ago!" Catra complains.  
"Ugh, some people."  
"Right!"  
"Anyway, I'd better get going before Octavia has my head. She's still not best pleased about our swift swap the other night."  
"Ugh, whatever. I did my friend a favour, what's so bad about that?"  
"You know Octavia, anything and everything is a drama." Lonnie comments. "Anyway, later, Catra."  
"Later." Catra responds.  
After about ten minutes, there's a knock on the booth's wall. Catra looks up, and is surprised to see Bright Moon Academy's Adora Grayskull stood in front of the booth.  
"Slow day, huh?" The blonde asks, eyebrow raised. Rather than the turtleneck, shorts and jacket she'd sported upon hers and Catra's first meeting, Adora now wore a simple grey shirt, accompanied by black shorts.  
"It's been a long one." Catra admits, getting off the stool she had been perched on. Adora laughs. Catra is surprised that she actually likes the sound of this girl's laugh.  
"Look, Blondie-"  
"Adora."  
"Okay, Adora." Catra says, earning a smile from the blonde. "I'm going to tell you something about me. I'm an Art major. It's one of the hardest-"  
"You're an Art major? No way, me too!" Adora exclaims. Catra folds her arms.  
"Oh, is that so?"  
"Yeah! I'm over at Bright Moon Academy, but I haven't seen you around there, so I figure you're over at Horde University with Scorpia and Entrapta."  
"That's right." Catra says.  
"Cool. So are you just an Art major or do you study anything else?" Adora asks, leaning on the booth.  
"I was going to do Sports, but I decided against it." Catra shrugs.  
"How come?"  
"Just realised that Art is hard enough on its own."  
"That's true. I major in History and Linguistics too, so." Adora admits, scratching her neck.  
"History and linguistics? How do you have any free time?" Catra asks.  
"Late nights." Adora informs.  
"Me too." Catra tells. She couldn't place the feeling she was currently experiencing, but she could distinguish one thing- she likes talking to this girl. That's why she frowns when she sees a few visitors being led towards her booth.  
"Can I see your ticket?" She asks.  
"Sure." Adora hands over the ticket, which Catra scans quickly. She sees a line beginning to form behind Adora, but risks attempting further conversation with the blonde.  
"So, how come I've seen you around here so much in the last two weeks?" Catra asks.  
"Let's just say, I've come to like the attractions." Adora replies, a smirk beginning to form on her lips. She quickly disguises it. Truth be told, she's curious about Catra. Okay, scratch that, she totally thinks Catra's cool...and attractive.  
"Most people like our attractions." Catra says.  
"Yeah, but still." Adora hears chatter behind her, and turns to see the line beginning to form.  
"Say, what time do you finish your shift?" She asks Catra, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Catra's own cheeks begin to burn up.  
"Um, five, actually." Catra informs. Adora smiles.  
"Would you, well, umm..." Adora trails off, and Catra raises an amused eyebrow.  
"You nervous about something, Princess?" She asks, using the nickname Horde Uni students have for BMA students.  
"Would you like to hang out in the park after you've finished your shift?" Adora asks.  
"Why?" Catra asks, before realising how rude she sounds. "Not that I don't like the idea, just-"  
"Sorry, maybe I did just spring it on you." Adora chuckles nervously.  
"Hey." Catra speaks. "I'll meet you at six outside The Fright Zone." She says. Adora's cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink, and Catra admits to herself that the blonde looks kind of cute.  
"Really? I mean, yeah, that's great! I'll be there. It's a date, I guess." She grins, before pulling a piece of paper from her pocket, and placing it in Catra's hand, before jogging off. Catra doesn't have time to look at the paper, as the next visitor moves forward immediately. She patiently deals with the next twelve visitors before she gets a chance to sit down, and look at the note. She lets out an amused laugh. This piece of paper has Adora's number on it. That Bright Moon Princess had planned this. Catra shakes her head, but can't help the grin on her face.  
'It's a date, I guess.'  
It can't be such a bad idea, right?


	4. a cloud nine fuel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just two girls getting to know one another in the comfort of the most popular theme park around

Without Scorpia or Entrapta to give her a lift, and her motorbike still being repaired, Catra had no other option than to call for a taxi to drive her home. The brunette hated taxis, they were always just so stuffy, and if you didn't like the radio music, you couldn't exactly say. The fares were too high, and the drivers were either too chipper or too quiet- there was no in between. This driver was particularly quiet, but right now, Catra didn't mind. She just leant against the window, staring out at the coastal sights. All in all, Seaworthy wasn't a bad place to live, Catra had to admit.  
"Do you mind if I put a window down?" She asked the driver, her finger hovering above the button.  
"Course not." The driver responded, pressing one of his own buttons that released the lock on Catra's.  
"So, what's it like working at Etheria?" The driver asks as Catra winds down the window. Catra's not surprised at this question, really. Whenever she or Scorpia, or any of her other colleagues are outside of the park, someone always asked them that same question, in that same manner, whether they be a bar tender, a school lecturer, a neighbour, or, in this case, a taxi driver.  
"The pay's good." Catra shrugs, not sure of what to say. She hates small talk, which was what made her glad about the fact that during hers and Adora's short exchange earlier today, the blonde had been the one to do the most talking. Usually, Catra found that trait in most people annoying, but with Adora, it seemed kind of...endearing.  
"Do you go on the rides often?" This guy was asking a lot of questions, which irritated Catra slightly.  
"Not very often, but often enough, I guess." Catra answers.  
"Any favourites?" It was obvious this driver was just trying to make any conversation. He was the closest thing to an 'in between' driver that Catra had seen yet-not too chipper, but he wasn't exactly quiet. Still though, he was too tedious for the brunette's liking.  
"Probably The Portal." Catra replies, after a moment's thought.  
"Cool." The driver responds, and that is the end to their awkward conversation. The next time they speak is when the driver tells Catra how much he's charging her.  
\------------  
To get back to Etheria, Catra decided that a bus would be a better option. There would be no awkward small talk about her work placement, and maybe if she was lucky enough, she could have the front seat at the top of the bus, where she could kick her feet up and relax, possibly even think about what this date, as Adora had put it, would entail. Catra kept telling herself that it wasn't really a date, because she and Adora barely knew each other- like, at all. But the more she thought about it, the more Catra was open to the idea of calling it a date- in her head of course. Once on the bus, she pulls out her phone, and pulls up Adora's newly added contact. She clicks the message button, typing out a simple: 'I'm on my way' but her finger hovers over the send button. Should she add an 'x' onto the end? Should she not? Ah, what the hell. Adora had obviously intended to ask Catra on this date, so one small 'x' at the end of a casual text couldn't hurt. Right?  
She added the 'x' and pressed send anyway. Catra supposed she could become friends with Adora, but where would that leave her? Catra's not stupid, she knows that she feels something different whenever she sees the blonde girl, but she can't place it, and that in itself is a fact that annoys Catra to no end. The pinging of her phone alerts Catra, pulling her gaze away from the window.

Adora: Great, I'll head over to the Fright Zone now xx

Two x's? Catra can't help but chuckle to herself at that.  
Soon enough, the bus pulls up outside Etheria, and Catra gets off. She inhales, preparing herself. Perfuma always tells her to take deep breaths when she's nervous. But Catra doesn't understand why she's nervous. It's just a date, right?  
She walks down the side of the queue, along to the ticket booth, her usual domain, which is now staffed by Entrapta's younger sister, Emily. Like her older sister, Emily wears dark pink eyeshadow, but with white glittery powder on her inner lid. Her hair however, is blonde. She sports a pale green polo and shorts.  
"Hi, Emily." Catra waves.  
"Oh, hi, Catra. Didn't your shift finish at five?" Catra gestures to her outfit, hinting that she's not here for work purposes.  
"Yeah, I'm meeting..." Catra isn't entirely sure how to refer to Adora yet. "Someone." She concludes. Emily raises an eyebrow, but smiles.  
"Can I see your ticket?" She asks. Catra holds forward her ticket, one of many sitting in her drawer at home that she hasn't used.  
"Have a good night!" Emily calls.  
"Thanks!" Catra calls back, before walking through the gates to the park. She walks past the Whispering Woods section of the park, and over to the gates of the Fright Zone. Probably not the best spot to start a date, Catra notes nervously. Stood outside the gates, five minutes early, is Adora. She is looking around, presumably for Catra, which makes the brunette chuckle.  
"Hey, Adora." Catra says, walking over. Adora's lips break into a grin.  
"Hi, Catra! Wow, you look awesome!" Adora compliments, making Catra's cheeks warm up. She'd chosen her favourite black ripped jeans, her comfy black Converse, a simple maroon shirt, and a red flannel that she currently had tied around her waist.  
"Thanks." Catra replied. "You look good too."  
Wait.  
You look good.  
Oh God, she's so stupid.  
"I mean-"  
"I got what you meant, don't worry." Adora tells, grinning as always, but Catra could have sworn that she saw the lightest of blushes begin to decorate Adora's cheeks.  
"You come here often?" Adora jokes.  
"I work here, you dummy, now come on, let's get in line."  
"So, what do you want to ride on first?" Adora asks, as they join the queue to get into the Fright Zone.  
"The Portal's my favourite, and it's the closest, but it's up to you." Catra tells.  
"Sounds great!" Adora smiles. God, is she always this sunny?  
"Catra! Adora!" A familiar voice calls. Catra looks to see that Scorpia is manning the booth tonight, and the grin on her face tells Catra one thing- she's got some explaining to do.  
"Are you guys, like, here together? That is just so amazing!" Scorpia gushes. Adora laughs, whilst Catra sighs, with a smile playing on her lips.  
"Just scan the wristbands Big Gal." She says, holding forward her wrist. Scorpia does as instructed, scanning Catra's wristband, and then moving onto Adora's.  
"Have a good time!" Scorpia grins. "Oh, and keep your hands and legs inside the rides at all times. No loose items." Scorpia warns, before she forgets.  
"Thanks, Scorpia!" Adora beams back, before walking through the gates to the Fright Zone, and over to The Portal. The queue for the ride is small, something that visibly relieves Adora.  
"I love this ride too, but my favourite one in the Fright Zone is Black Garnet."  
"That's a good ride. For a Bright Moon Princess, you have good taste." Catra acknowledges.  
"They're fun rides. Horror Hall's another good one. It's a pretty unique name for a ghost train."  
"It's Scorpia's favourite." Catra remembers.  
"So you and Scorpia are close, right?" Adora asks.  
"Yeah. We met on the first day of college, we've been friends ever since."  
"Me, Glimmer and Bow met on the first day of college too."  
"Wow."  
"So, you guys did similar courses in college?" Adora asks, going back to the topic of Catra and Scorpia.  
"We were both taking music at the time, yeah. But I also took Art and Design, alongside Sports. What did you take?" Catra asks, genuinely interested.  
"Pretty much the same as what I'm taking at Uni. Hist-"  
"History, Art and Linguistics." Catra recalls.  
"You remember?" Adora asks, seeming surprised.  
"Yeah. It was only this afternoon that you told me. My memory's not that terrible." Catra says.  
"Well then I don't feel bad for remembering that you almost took Sports as a major, but decided against it."  
"Okay, that actually surprises me." Catra admits.  
"So, when did you start working here?" Adora asks.  
"Last summer. Scorpia started in the spring, and it sounded good. She left out the part about the horrible little kids, and how rude people can be. But then again, they're probably not as rude to her. She's Scorpia after all."  
"She is so lovely, isn't she?"  
"She is." Catra replies, as she and Adora arrive at the front of the queue. They stick their wristbands underneath the machine, before proceeding forward onto the ride's platform. There is a cabinet for personal items, so Catra slings small black backpack onto one of the shelves.  
"Hey, um, I hope this doesn't sound rude, but do you mind if I put my phone in your bag?" Adora asks.  
"Yeah sure." Adora hands Catra the phone, the lock-screen illuminating. On it is a picture of Adora with her friends, Glimmer and Bow, as Catra recalled. Adora was at the centre, grinning, as Glimmer hugged her from the left, and Bow hugged her from the right. They all had their eyes closed, but the smiles on their face told that they were having a good time.  
"It's my favourite picture of me, Glimmer and Bow." Adora explains, noticing Catra's gaze on the photo.  
"My lock-screen's a picture of me, Scorpia and Entrapta." Catra reveals, putting Adora's yellow iPhone 11 into her bag.  
"I didn't have you down as the type of girl who would have something like that as your home screen." Adora says, as she gets on the ride. Catra takes the seat next to her, as an employee pulls down the barrier over their knees.  
"What type of girl do you have me down as?" Catra asks, with a smirk on her face. The smirk only widens when Adora's cheeks turn red.  
"Umm...you know..." Adora chuckles nervously.  
"No, I don't know. But I am intrigued." Catra says, her smirk still in place.  
"Really cool, effortless, but like, the type of cool who wouldn't have a picture of her and her friends as her lock-screen." Adora explains.  
"I will have you know, I am actually pretty cool." Catra brags. "My picture isn't something like yours. It's of me, Scorpia and Entrapta in some back alley downtown. We spray painted one of the walls with the words 'The Fright Zone'. It was our favourite place at the time." Catra says.  
"The alley was your favourite place?"  
"No, dummy, the Fright Zone was."  
"Ohhhh." Realisation dawns on Adora, as she nervously chuckles. "Well, what's your favourite place now?"  
"The Crimson Waste. Good food." Catra says.  
"Keep your hands and legs inside the ride at all times, and enjoy!" A voice calls over the speakers.  
"Here we go!" Adora exclaims excitedly, which makes Catra smile softly. This girl was an idiot, but she was...kinda cute. The smile on her face only grew as the ride sped into action, zooming over a loop, and down into a slope. It arrives at a drop, plummeting in a straight line, pausing at the top, for suspense.  
"Catra?" Adora asks.  
"Yeah?"  
"Umm, I don't wanna sound chicken, but can I hold your hand?" Adora asks. Catra looks at her, at first surprised, but her lips curve into a smile. She takes the blonde's hand, ignoring the thumping of her heart against her chest.  
"This is my favourite part!" Catra whoops, changing the subject, and Adora laughs at her.   
"Of course it-" The blonde is cut off as the ride drops in a high speed motion. "IS!" She finishes, mid-scream. Her ponytail slaps her face, but Catra can barely see her date through her own hair, which is whipping all around her face. The ride zooms along a straight line, before twisting into another loop, before turning on the edge of the track, and returning to the start of the ride. Catra smiles down at hers and Adora's intertwined hands, before looking up ad smirking at the blonde.  
"Not a fan of heights?"  
"I am fine with heights!" Adora protests. "But I'm not good with height combined with speed." Adora admits. She looks down at their hands, still held together.   
"You have soft hands." The blonde mumbles. "Come on." Adora lifts the barrier from across hers and Catra's knees. The two women climb out of the seats.   
"So, where next?" Adora asks, as Catra picks her bag up from the cabinet.   
"How about Black Garnet? We chose my favourite first, so now we can have yours." Catra replies.  
"Great! Let's go!" Adora grabs Catra's hand in hers, dragging the brunette towards her favourite ride. 

After going on Black Garnet, the girls proceeded to go on Velvet Glove (a ride that twists that hang off the edge of the track), followed by Krytis (a series of dark tunnels with unexpected drops (sometimes backward drops) and finally, Horror Hall, the ghost train that Adora thought was unique.  
"So, how does food sound to you? It's bordering half seven, and I don't know about you, but I am starving." Adora says, after they come off Horror Hall.  
"Half seven? God, really?" Catra asks.  
"Yeah." Adora presents her phone, showing the time, and a few messages and Instagram notifications.  
"You're certainly popular." Catra notes. Adora glances at her phone.  
"They can wait." She shrugs.  
"Oh yeah? Am I that good company?" Catra smirks.  
"Yeah, you are." Adora stops walking, and turns to face her brunette companion. "Can I be honest with you?"  
"Sure, go ahead."  
"I really like hanging out with you. Like, a lot." Adora confesses, cheeks dusted pink. Catra chuckles.  
"I really like hanging out with you too." Catra admits. She did, too. Adora had this way of taking every moment in her own way, and Catra liked it. She was fun to be around, and she was quite interesting. Like seriously, a triple major?! So far tonight, she had found out that Adora's favourite colour was red, she lived with her grandmother, she was fluent in French and could even read some Latin, and she shared a dorm with her friend Glimmer. Her favourite takeaway food was pizza, and she liked to run in the mornings.  
Catra noticed that Adora was blushing, and she smirked.  
"What?" Adora asked.  
"Your cheeks are pink." Catra walks ahead of Adora, turning her head back, smirk still in place.  
"Now come on, you look stupid hanging back there. Nobody comes to a theme park alone." Adora jogs to Catra's side, and nudges her.  
"Crimson Waste Tavern? I hear they do killer cheesy fries." Adora says.  
"Sounds good right about now. Have you tried them with red salt?"  
"They are the best!" Adora grins.  
"Amen to that." Catra smiles, as she and Adora walk out the gates of the Fright Zone. Scorpia was still in the booth, but there was no queue for now. She took Adora's hand, and gave it a squeeze. Adora's cheeks- only seconds before having recovered from being pink- flamed up.  
"Will you grab us a table at the Tavern? I'm just gonna go talk to Scorpia. Unless you're not cool with that. I mean this is our date-" Catra is cut off by Adora squeezing her hand.  
"I'll grab you some fries. Cheese and red salt and all." Adora says.  
"I'll pay you when I get there...In fact, wait until I'm there."  
"How come?"  
"Employee discount. I won't be long, a couple of minutes at most." Catra says.  
"Okay." Adora smiles, walking towards The Crimson Waste. Catra turns to walk towards Scorpia, who is already leaning on the booth, ready for conversation.  
"Are you on a date with Adora? Oh my gosh, I have so many questions."  
"I gotta cut this a little short, Adora's expecting me in the Tavern. Yes, this is a date. Her word." Catra reveals, blushing at Scorpia's excited expression.  
"But we barely know each other, but...look..." Catra looks around, hoping no one else is listening. "I'll kill you if you tell anyone this, but...ughhhhh...I think...I think I like her." Catra speaks. Scorpia gasps.  
"Really?"  
"Look, I'm not sure yet, but I like spending time with her. I wanna spend more time with her." Catra admits.   
"Wow, that's really great, Catra! I'm so happy for you! And Adora!"  
"Look, you are not to make a big deal of this because I have no idea where it's going. Speaking of going, I'd better head towards the Tavern before she thinks I've ditched her. I said I'd buy food."   
"Look at you all smitten!" Scorpia gushes.  
"Whatever." Catra comments, with a smile. 

When Catra reaches the Tavern, Adora is sitting on a small table. The brunette immediately orders the two sets of fries for her and Adora, as well as two milkshakes. When she picks up the tray, she heads on over to Adora. The blonde's face breaks out in a smile upon seeing Catra.  
"Fries!" Adora exclaims. Catra laughs.  
"Yeah, dig in." Catra says, plonking the tray down. "I also grabbed some milkshakes, one vanilla, one strawberry. Which one do you want?"  
"Ooo, strawberry, without a doubt." Adora grins. Catra slides over the cup with Adora's desired drink in.  
"Catra?" Adora asks, after munching down on some fries.  
"Yeah, Adora?"  
"For one, these fries taste amazing." She begins, causing Catra to laugh. "How would you feel about going out again? Like, I get we've still got about another two hours around the park, but I mean like, maybe go out for coffee or something...I don't really know where people go on dates, I'm kinda new to it. Not like I'm saying that we're a couple, with the whole date thing, I mean-"  
"Adora." Catra plonks her cup down on the table with a little thud, but it still causes Adora to jump.  
"I'd like to go on a second date with you. A lot. Also, I like bowling." Catra reveals, taking a bite of one of her chips. "And don't feel bad about the couple thing, I got what you meant."  
"I didn't mean it to come off as like 'I wanna be your girlfriend', although I feel like that's an insult, I'm not saying you're undateable...wait why did I say undateable, is that a word?" Adora rambles, and Catra grabs her chin, forcing the blonde to face her. For a moment, she notices the blonde's eyes flicker down to her lips, and she can't help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss Adora right now.  
"I said I'd go on a second date with you, so chill out. Like I said, I got what you meant. Truth be told, I'm new at this whole dates thing too." Catra tells her.  
"What? You? You're kidding, right?" Adora asks. Catra raises a confused brow.  
"No?"  
"Wow, that is...a shock." Adora says, grabbing some more fries.  
"A shock how?" Catra asks, intrigued.  
"You're just..."  
"I'm just what?" Catra asks, smirking.  
"You're pretty." Adora mumbles. Catra blinks. Then she laughs. Adora raises a brow in a confused manner.  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, me laughing is not the best response. People just don't call me pretty." Catra says, slurping on her milkshake.  
"Attractive then." Adora says with a dismissive wave. Catra nearly chokes. Adora panics slightly, but Catra holds up a hand.  
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just...shocked." Catra says, finishing off her chips, as Adora does the same.  
"You should give yourself more credit then." Adora speaks, before rising from her seat. "I don't know about you, but I wanna go on a water ride. Can we go to The Sea Gate?" Catra usually hated working a shift in the Whispering Woods, but she had to admit some of the rides were good. She'd never been on the Sea Gate before, so with a shrug, she stood and smiled.  
"Sure."

By the time the park was closing, Adora and Catra were laughing as they walked outside the gates, high on adrenaline.  
"I'm not ready for this night to be over." Adora admitted through a laugh.  
"Me neither." Catra said. "But you said you have to go, right?"  
"Yeah. Glimmer worries when I get back late, so I promised I'd be back at half ten latest. I'm getting on the 95." Adora says, nodding towards the bus stop.  
"I'll wait with you."  
"Really? Won't your roommate worry?" Adora asks.  
"I don't have a roommate. I live in my own apartment." Catra reveals.  
"That is so cool!"  
"Yeah, I guess. Means my room can be a tip and no one can chide me." Catra jokes, and Adora laughs. They walk over to the small bus stop and sit in a comfortable silence, until the breeze picks up. Adora shivers.  
"Are you cold?" Catra asks.  
"I'm fine, don't worry." Adora says, but shivers again. Catra smiles, and shrugs her jacket off of her shoulders.  
"I didn't wear this on The Sea Gate, so its dry. Take it." Adora glances at the jacket.  
"Catra, I can't."  
"Adora, you're cold, so just take it." Catra says. Adora takes it, and places it over her outfit.  
"What about you?" She asks. "Oh, and thanks."  
"No problem. And I have this." Catra unties her flannel from around her waist, and puts it over her outfit.  
"Looks good." Adora compliments.  
"Thanks." Catra responds. A bus pulls up, and the girls note the number on the side. 95.  
"Guess I'd better get going." Adora stands, and Catra follows her up. "Thanks for a great night." Adora says. Out of nowhere, she places a kiss on Catra's cheek, leaving the brunette stunned.  
"Goodnight." Adora speaks quietly.  
"Goodnight." Catra manages to respond. Adora smiles, before getting onto the bus. After the bus drives out of view, Catra places a hand to her cheek. She pulls her phone out of her pocket, and calls Scorpia.  
"You still at the park?"  
"Yeah, I'm coming out now. You still here too?" Scorpia asks.  
"I'm at the bus stop."  
"I'll pick you up. Tell me everything, okay? I'm just getting in the car." Scorpia says, before she hangs up. Catra laughs to herself, and leans against a lamp post until Scorpia pulls up.   
"Where's your jacket?" Scorpia asks immediately, as Catra climbs in the front seat.  
"About that..." Catra begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> catra's lockscreen- https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redbubble.com%2Fi%2Fframed-print%2FShe-ra-Girl-Gang-AU-the-Horde-by-artisticsnachel%2F39301831.AJ1A3&psig=AOvVaw2oHK_mWZGGkczXNJPTe8az&ust=1592590097042000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIiv4cv6i-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAl
> 
> catra's outfit (except her shirt is longer) - https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F485262928600110496%2F&psig=AOvVaw0DDgDND8eRprX4n2oen2J8&ust=1592600224220000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKC7kamgjOoCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD


	5. cotton candy dream girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after going to a fair with adora, catra realises what she's starting to feel for the blonde girl.

With winter break approaching, everyone was in high spirits, and that included Catra. This was strange for her, as she never usually enjoyed winter. It was cold, and the snow always ended up slushy- what was the point in that? But lately, she'd been feeling great, better than ever.  
"Sooo, what's she saying?" Scorpia grins, slinging an arm around Catra. They're both sat on the couch in Entrapta's basement, whilst Entrapta herself is making smoothies upstairs with Emily.  
"What? Who?" Catra asks, confused.  
"Oh come on, Catra. You've been grinning at your phone for like, ten minutes." Scorpia replies.  
"There's just some funny memes page I've found."  
"Hmm. Okay. That's why your ringer keeps going off, and you ever-so-conveniently smile when it does." Scorpia argues, and Catra sighs, cornered.  
"She's just funny that's all." Catra pouts, as Entrapta walks down the basement stairs.  
"Who's funny?" She asks.  
"Adora." Scorpia explains. Entrapta nods, placing the smoothies down in front of her friends, before sitting cross-legged in front of the coffee table.  
"Adora's very funny. You should see her when she's drunk though." Entrapta comments, and Scorpia nods.  
"Oh yeah. Like, one time, Glimmer and Bow went on a double date with Mermista and Sea Hawk, a little while before I even met Perfuma, so I told Adora she could come around. Me and Entrapta were hanging out whilst you were on a shift." Scorpia explains to Catra.  
"We planned to sit and roast some marshmallows outside. Fact for you Catra, she loves camping." Catra nods, resting her head on her hand, intrigued with Scorpia's story.  
"Anyway, we had a few drinks inside first, before going out, but Adora is a total lightweight. We were about to go outside to make a fire and some s'mores, but then a really big storm came. I didn't wanna sit out in that, so I told Adora there was a change of plans, and then she went all floppy and was like," Scorpia clears her throat, "'Yayyy, it's a girls night in!'"  
"She broke one of my lamps by hitting it with a mop though, so if you ever see her drunk, Catra, don't let her near mops. Or brushes. Or just about anything, to be honest."  
"Noted." Catra looks down at her phone to see two messages from Adora, which she quickly responds to.  
"Ooh, fast responses. You have definitely caught feelings for her." Entrapta speaks.  
"It's not fast. She sent those messages three minutes ago." Catra protests.  
"Yeah, but you reply as soon as you see them." Entrapta counters.  
"Whatever." Catra takes a slurp of her smoothie, leaning back into the sofa.  
"You know, Adora talks about you sometimes." Scorpia reveals, much to Catra's shock.  
"She does?"  
"Yeah!"  
"What does she say?" Catra asks, setting her smoothie back down on the table, and looking at Scorpia.  
"Now that's classified information. I promised her I wouldn't say. But look how excited you got!" Scorpia claps her hands together, a habit she had surely caught from Perfuma, as Catra groans.  
"Look, we're just friends."  
"You've been going on dates for weeks now."  
"They're not dates. We just meet up. Like friends do."  
"You gave her two of your free tickets for Etheria. That has to mean something. Plus, your cheeks go pink every time anyone mentions her. Add that with the fact that you both sent two kisses to each other, you don't stop smiling when she texts you, and she's in possession of your favourite black jacket, I'd say there's a 98% chance of a romantic relationship forming." Entrapta tells.  
"No way. No love. Not happening. Look, can we just do something else? I brought my Cards Against Humanity." Catra offers.  
"Oh yeah! Super Pal Trio: Game Night!" Scorpia exclaims. Safe to say, all talk of Adora is temporarily withheld, much to Catra's relief.

A few days later, Catra is sitting in her ticket booth, watching as people come and go from Etheria. The day had been slow. Winter break had began yesterday, and even though Etheria was widely popular, it was too cold in the winter for some of the rides, like Eternia, The Sea Gate and The Portal, to name just a few. The Heart of Etheria was becoming more popular however, due to the fact that it went underground, and the walls were decorated with fire. There were still drops, and twists and turns, and all in all, it was a pretty fun ride. Catra wouldn't be surprised if it became their new advertisement ride.  
As she looks around, Catra spots a familiar face approaching her booth. The first thing that normally sticks out to Catra is that hair poof, that she still thinks is dumb, but it's not as tight as usual, for one main reason.  
"Hey Adora. Felt like a hair change?" Catra asks. Adora grins.  
"Let's just say a friend of mine always has her hair down, and I wanted to try it."  
"Oh yeah?"  
"Yeah. You see, my friend, she's about, ye high." Adora says, putting a hand just below the top of her head, at the same height as Catra. "She's brunette, and she's got this really carefree, live life spirit that I admire. Figured it was about time I took a leaf from her book." Adora smirks.  
"So what's their name?" Catra plays along. Adora grins, and squints her eyes at Catra's name badge.  
"Catra. Pretty name, huh?" Adora asks. Catra's eyes widen.  
"So I've got a pretty name?" The brunette finds herself winking at Adora, something that surprises even her. However, it leaves Adora flustered, cheeks dusted pink, and Catra smirks.  
Catra:1, Adora:0.  
"Anyway, are you here to distract me from my job, or to go on some rides?"  
"Option A. I wanted to know if you wanted to go out after your shift? Not anything serious, but there's a fair downtown, and I thought it might be fun. It's on until about 10 tonight."  
"A fair?" Catra asks sceptically.  
"Yeah. I just thought I should probably stop stealing your free tickets for Etheria, you have other friends to give them to."  
"I don't give them to other friends, I only use them when me and you go out." Catra reveals.  
"Oh, so I'm, like, special?" Adora smirks.  
"I didn't say that." Catra states back.  
"Hmm. Okay, I won't tell anyone you like me better than your other friends." Adora mirrors Catra's earlier action, throwing a wink Catra's way.  
Catra:1, Adora:1  
"I didn't say that either!" Catra protests. "I'll come to the dumb fair." She says, quieter.  
"Great! What time does your shift end?" Adora asks. Catra glances down at her watch. It's half past eleven now.  
"I finish at one."  
"Brilliant. So, that leaves plenty of time to get ready. I'll meet you on the pier at about four?" Adora says.  
"How about three?"  
"Sounds perfect! I'll be there." Adora waves, before turning around, and going back the way she came. Catra smiles to herself, and twists a strand of her hair.

"I can't believe you're going to the effort of buying new clothes, just for Adora." Scorpia says to Catra, as they roam the local shopping mall.  
"That's not it, I'm just sure she's seen my whole wardrobe, and thought it'd be stupid to show up in something she's already seen me in." Catra pouts.  
"Sure, Wildcat. Come on, admit it, you like her." Scorpia teases, as Catra huffs.  
"She's nice and she's fun to be around, but that is all."  
"She kissed you though."  
"No, she kissed my cheek, this is not a big deal."  
"Seemed like a big deal to you at the time. You kept coming back to it."  
"Look, Scorpia, we are here to shop. I just need some new jeans and a new top."  
"What about replacing the jacket you gave her?"  
"I have other jackets, Scorpia." Catra retorts, walking into one of her favourite clothes shops. She heads over to the sales rack, flicking through some shirts.  
"Oh my gosh, Catra would you look at this? This is stunning. I've got a dinner with Perfuma next week, do you think this will do?" Scorpia holds up a one-sleeved, body-fitting dress, with a thin red belt.  
"You'll look great in that. How much?"  
"£50. Wow, that is good quality!" Scorpia exclaims.  
"Buy it then." Catra says, picking up some black leggings. "I'm grabbing these. I need new leggings for work."  
"I thought you bought a new pair last week." Scorpia said.  
"I did. I may or may not have ripped through them when I was working a shift in the Whispering Woods."  
"Not surprised to be honest." Scorpia laughs.  
"Well I'm grabbing two pairs in case of emergency." Catra says, grabbing a second pair from the railing. As she does, her phone begins to ring. She answers immediately, in case it is Adora, but it is not. It's the repair shop that have had her motorbike for a while now. It's ready to be collected.  
"Finally." Catra says after hanging up. Scorpia offers her a quizzical look.  
"My motorbike's ready to be picked up. Mind if we swing by on the way home?"  
"Course not!" Scorpia grins. She and Catra continue to look through the clothing, picking up various things along the way.  
"I'm going to wear this." Catra holds up a sleeveless black shirt, and a plain red shirt.  
"Ooo, I like it!" Scorpia grins, as they stroll over to the tills. "I think Adora will too."  
"You know, I knew that was coming." Catra sighs.

At 3pm, Catra pulls up to the pier. Adora is already there, in different clothes than she had been this morning. Her mouth hangs open as Catra pulls off her helmet, shaking her hair loose.  
"Okay, you are officially the coolest girl I have ever met. In fact, you're just the coolest person, period." Adora says, running her eyes over the bike. It is a deep maroon colour, with black handles and wheels.  
"How would you feel if I dropped you off home on it later?" Catra asks. Adora beams widely.  
"That would be so awesome!" She exclaims. Catra smiles.  
"You're really something, you know that?" She asks.  
"I've not really been told that before, but because it's you, I'll take it as a compliment." Adora grins.  
"Because it's me? Do I have special rights?" Catra grins back.  
"Yeah. I guess being the coolest person ever has its advantages for you, huh?" Adora responds.  
"I have my moments, sure. But I'm just as cliched as everyone else in the town. You're just biased." Catra shrugs.  
"Well," Adora says, bumping her shoulder against Catra's. "I think you're pretty...unique." The blonde settles.  
"I thought you were gonna stop at pretty." Catra snorts. Adora smiles at her.  
"You are pretty." Adora says casually. Catra's heart drops to her stomach, her cheeks flushing. She's left speechless.  
"Hey, you okay?" Adora asks. Catra nods.  
"Y-Yeah." Okay, what was happening to her, Catra wondered. She never stuttered, and she'd never felt her heart drop as it just did. Adora smiles.  
"Good." Adora looks down for a moment at her hand, before taking Catra's in hers. The brunette's eyes widen, and she swears her cheeks are on literal fire.  
"Is this okay?" Adora asks. God damnit, this blonde could be cute. Wait, what?! Catra looks down at their hands, acknowledging how their skin tones clash, but they still look so good together.  
"This is okay." Catra confirms, and Adora's smile widens, showing off little dimples. The girls continue to walk through the fair, until Adora stops walking, her eyes widening, and she practically flies forwards.  
"Adora?" Catra asks.  
"Catra, look at the unicorn! I want it!" Adora says. Catra laughs; this girl is ridiculous.  
"Move over." Catra instructs, and Adora obeys. Catra stands at the stall where the unicorn- a creature a deep shade of purple- is on display.  
"Hey, how much for one game?" Catra asks, nodding behind the stall owner. The game is five buckets set up, with tennis balls to throw in. Catra knew that she could easily win it- working at Etheria had its perks.  
"£2."  
"Bargain. I'll have two games." Catra says, fishing out a five pound note. The stall owner took it, and passed Catra the collection of tennis balls.  
"You don't need them all, just three." The owner explains. Catra nods.  
"Ready to marvel at my skills, Princess?" Catra smirks at Adora, who smiles back.  
"Sure." Adora folds her arms, smirking. Catra throws the first tennis ball- straight in. Her second shot fails, but the rest go through.  
"Go Catra!" Adora cheers.  
"What would you like as your prize?" The stall owner asks.  
"The purple unicorn, thanks." Catra says. As soon as the teddy in question is handed to the brunette, she hands it over to her blonde companion. Adora's face lights up, but she hands the unicorn back over. Catra tilts her head in confusion.  
"You're going to have to hold Swift Wind whilst I play."  
"You're not calling him Swift Wind." Catra deadpans.  
"Stop me." Adora challenges. She rolls up her sleeves, and goes over to the stall. Like Catra, she scores four shots.  
"Maybe you're not just a Bright Moon Princess after all." Catra grins.  
"Prize?" The stall owner asks. Adora looks at Catra.  
"Well?"  
"Me?" Catra asks.  
"Yeah. What do you want?" Adora asks. Catra scans her eyes over the prize selection, until her gaze lands on a maroon cat with big blue eyes. Kind of like Adora's big blue eyes.  
"The cat." Catra points. The stall owner grabs the prize, and the girls thank him. As they walk away, Catra groans.  
"Ughhh, I'm not gonna be able to get Melog home with my bike."  
"Melog? What kind of name is that?" Adora snorts.  
"Excuse me, it is much better than Swift Wind." Catra retorts.  
"Swift Wind is an awesome name! I can even shorten it to Swifty!" Adora argues. Catra shakes her head.  
"I'm gonna call Scorpia, give me a sec." Catra says, pulling out her phone. Her best friend answers after the second ring.  
"Hey Wildcat! How's that date?" Scorpia asks.  
"It's not a-never mind. I need a favour." Catra says.  
"Anything."  
"Me and Adora have won these prizes from the fair, but we can't get them home with my bike. I don't suppose you could come pick them up later? I feel terrible for asking, I-"  
"Of course I will!"  
"Great."  
"Just let me know when you're leaving." Scorpia says.  
"Will do. See ya."  
"Bye Catra."   
Before putting her phone back into her pocket, Catra types out a quick text to Scorpia.  
'I'll kill you if you tell anyone this, but you were right. I like her. A lot.'


	6. it's time to talk about feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> catra and scorpia drive to the next town over for a concert, joined by perfuma and unexpectedly (to catra) adora. whilst there, catra confides in perfuma about her newfound feelings for adora, and how to deal with them.

"I thought I said that I'd kill you if you told anyone." Catra groans, putting her head back on the top of the passenger seat.  
"Perfuma saw your text first, so technically, I didn't tell her." Scorpia explains, keeping her eyes on the road.  
"Ughh, she's not gonna let this go." Catra puts her hands over her face.  
"Nah, Perfuma isn't like that." Scorpia says.  
"What am I supposed to do though? What the hell do I do with feelings?" Catra asks.  
"Perfuma always says that you should be open about feelings."  
"Get real, Scorpia. Adora is not gonna reciprocate my feelings. Besides, they're effectively useless." Catra shrugs.  
"I think you should see how things go with Adora." Scorpia advises.  
"Scorp, you've been saying this for the last two months, ever since I met her." Catra groans.  
"Because I think she's just right for you. I have never seen you so happy."  
"I'm perfectly happy!" Catra protests.  
"I know, I know. I'm just saying, I think you guys could be so good together."  
"So you keep saying." Catra rolls her eyes.  
"Well, it's lucky I invited her this weekend. Maybe a few days with her will convince you that a relationship may not be such a bad thing to pursue." Scorpia says.  
"You invited her this weekend?!" Catra screeches.  
"We're each allowed a plus one. The rooms are double." Scorpia says.  
"Why didn't you check with me?" Catra asks.  
"Because I knew you'd say no."  
"Scorpia, this is going to be a disaster." Catra puts her hands over her face.  
"You guys are friends, right? You don't have to act any different around her."  
"Scorpia, I-"  
"Come on, Wildcat. Just see how it goes. She's already on her way there with Perfuma." Scorpia informs.  
"Fine." Catra folds her arms, looking out the window.

When Scorpia and Catra arrive at their hotel over in Salineas, Catra has to admit that she is mildly impressed. The hotel is tall, with glass windows on the outside, and intricately designed walls on the inside.  
"Hi there!" Scorpia waves to the receptionist.  
"Hello. Do you have a booking?"  
"Yes, it's under the name Scorpia D'Ream." Scorpia explains. The receptionist clicks a few keyboard keys, and smiles.  
"Here it is. The other two members of your party are already here. Since they couldn't get the keycard until your arrival, they are currently outside." The receptionist explains, handing Scorpia four keycards, which she takes with her spare hand.  
"We'll go find them. Thanks!" Scorpia beams.  
"Your rooms are both on the 14th floor, 1422 and 1446."  
"Great! Have a nice day!" Scorpia smiles, and walks to the outside pool, with Catra trailing behind.  
"Hey, Perfuma! Adora!" Scorpia calls, spotting the two blondes outside. They are lay on sunbeds, Perfuma in a pink sundress with frilled straps, whilst Adora sports a grey bikini. Perfuma swings her legs off the sunbed, grinning at her girlfriend.  
"How was your trip, sweetie?" She asks, kissing Scorpia's cheek.  
"It was good, yeah. We listened to Fleetwood Mac for most of it."  
"I wanted Simple Plan or blink-182, but Scorpia wasn't having it."  
"I much prefer Kesha personally." Adora says, coming up behind Perfuma. Catra feels her heart rate increase at just the sight of the blue-eyed blonde girl.  
"Anyway," Catra speaks. "We've got the keycards. Anyone else feeling like getting up to their room?"  
"Oh absolutely. Driving for three hours takes the energy out of you. I'm exhausted." Adora says.  
"She's a much better driver than I am." Perfuma giggles.  
"So how are the rooms working?" Adora asks, as she grabs her suitcase.  
"Shouldn't you put some clothes over your bikini?" Perfuma asks. Adora blinks, before registering.  
"Ohhh. Yeah, good point." The blonde opens the top zipper of her case, pulling out a thin white dress, and pulling it over her bikini.  
"As for rooms," Scorpia says, "It's pretty simple. Me and Perfuma will be sharing, so that leaves you and Catra, Adora. Is that okay?"  
"Of course it is. You and Perfuma are dating after all. You don't mind, do you Catra?" Adora asks.  
"Uh, no, no, that's fine." Catra manages. Sharing a room with Adora. Scorpia had definitely rigged this. It was bad enough that she'd have to spend time with Adora during the day, but now she'd have to spend her time after her concert with the blonde too. She likes spending time with Adora, but with these new feelings, she couldn't be sure she wouldn't say or do something to mess it up.  
When they reach the room, 1422, Catra can't help but marvel at the room.  
"We get good rooms normally, but this is pretty cool." Catra acknowledges, putting her suitcase against the wall. Hers and Adora's room had a fan on the ceiling, with a balcony view of the sea, as well as a sleek black chaise near the window. A 65 inch TV hangs on the wall, with a table and two sets of drawers below it. A small bedside table sits on either side of the two beds. There's an ensuite bathroom too. On the wall next to the left hand side bed, there is a closet, with a sliding door. The beds have soft quilts and two pillows, both with a teddy on, and a small box of chocolates. Catra snorts at the sight of the teddies.  
"Can't say we've ever had teddies before."  
"So what's this gig stuff like? What do you guys do?" Adora asks, taking a seat on the left hand bed.   
"We usually perform in the Seaworthy Tavern most weekends when we're not working, we'll travel from time to time if we can get the gigs. We go to Plumeria sometimes, since that's where Perfuma originally came from before she moved to Seaworthy."  
"I've never heard either of you perform. I've seen pictures on Scorpia's Instagram though. You look awesome."  
"You think?" Catra asks, taking a seat on the floor to unpack her suitcase.   
"Yeah. I like how you curl your hair." Adora admits. Catra mildly blushes, but brushes it off. "I like doing something different for concerts. Besides, wild hair totally gives off the vibe we go for."  
"What type of music do you guys perform?" Adora asks. Catra can't help but laugh a little. "Have you really drove three hours for a concert that you don't even know the band's type of music?" She asks, with an amused smile on her face.   
"I wanted to spend time with you."  
"We are a pretty cool group." Catra grins, placing some clothes in the closet.   
"Well, yeah, true. But that's not what I meant." Adora says. Catra turns to regard her.   
"What did you mean then?" The brunette asks, going back to her suitcase and pulling some more clothes out.   
"I meant just you." Adora admits, her cheeks red.   
"Like, just me and you?" Catra inquires.   
"Yeah." Admittedly, Catra is taken aback, in a good way. "I mean, we hang out a lot."  
"That's true. Well, you get to spend time with me for the next three days. You'll probably kick me out though, I snore." Catra reveals, chuckling. Adora smiles, joining her in a laugh.   
"By the way, did Perfuma mention to you about going out for lunch tomorrow?" Catra asks, pulling some more clothes out of her suitcase.   
"Yeah, why?" Adora replies, stretching to grab her own suitcase.   
"Do you think I should wear the black top and white flannel, or the black top and red flannel?" Catra asks, holding up her two flannels.   
"Red." Adora says. Catra nods. She turns to place the white flannel back in her suitcase, but is alerted by a yelp.   
"Oww…" Catra peers over her shoulder to see Adora's legs dangling in midair. The blonde girl pulls herself up, and notices Catra's gaze, which is currently amused.   
"Are you laughing at me?" She asks.   
"No." Catra says, but a bubble of laughter escapes her lips. Adora pouts, prompting more laughter from her brunette roommate.   
"You should see your face." Catra laughs, walking over to help the blonde up.   
"Are you okay?" She asks. Adora nods.   
"I was tryna grab my suitcase. Probably not the best idea from that distance." Adora admits, scratching her chin awkwardly.   
"You coulda just asked me to give it to you. I was literally stood next to it when you said you wanted to spend time with me."  
"I didn't want it then." Adora pouts. Catra smiles.   
"You're such an idiot."  
"Am not!"  
"You keep tellin' yourself that. Meanwhile, I'm going to get some room service, and invite Scorpia and Perfuma to come and chill here for a bit. Unless you mind?"  
"Course I don't."  
"You'll have other opportunities to have me all to yourself." Catra winked, before walking out of the door with her room key. Adora's gaze followed the brunette until the door swung shut.   
  
"Hey Wildcat. Settled in already?" Scorpia asks, opening hers and Perfuma's door. Catra smiles as the taller woman moves aside for Catra to enter.   
"I've managed to get most of my clothes in the closet, but Adora's barely started."  
"Oh yeah?"  
"Yeah. She was too busy being an idiot. Wow, I like your chaise. Ours is black, I'll trade for yours." Catra says, noting the red chaise in Scorpia and Perfuma's room.   
"I don't think the staff would be too happy about you rearranging their rooms." Perfuma laughs.   
"Good point. Hey, Perfuma, would I be able to speak to you?" Catra asks. The bleach blonde girl exchanges a glance with Scorpia, who is currently lighting a candle.   
"I'll go hang with Adora!" Scorpia offers.   
"I told her I was getting room service, just tell her that I won't be long." Catra says. Scorpia nods, and grabs her key card. She places a kiss on Perfuma's cheek before leaving. Catra takes a seat on the chaise, and sighs.   
"I hate this whole feelings thing." She immediately groans. Perfuma takes a seat next to her, nodding.   
"Why's that?" She asks.   
"I just...I'm reading into everything. It's like...ugh, I never thought I'd be saying this, but-" "You want her to be your girlfriend, right?"  
"Yeah." Catra admits quietly. Her cheeks were burning, embarrassed.   
"Catra." Perfuma speaks. "There's no shame in having feelings for someone, or wanting to make a relationship out of it."  
"But this is Adora, Perfuma. Do you really think she'd want that?"  
"I do, Catra. The chemistry between you both is powerful. What I can't understand is why neither of you can see that."  
"It's...complicated." Catra groans, putting her head in her hands.   
"Is this about your past?" Perfuma asks. Catra looks over at Perfuma, her mouth slightly hung open.   
"How did you...?"  
"Catra, I know you. I know how hard it is for you to open yourself up to people, especially after the example your mother set."  
"She's not my mother, Perfuma. Just some bitter, twisted woman who raised me." Catra grits her teeth, scowling at the ground. She'd not had any contact with her mother since the latter had walked away from her two years ago. She'd even pushed her name out of her memory, choosing to deem her as 'Shadow Weaver' instead.   
"Catra, I think you need to confide in Adora about this." Perfuma speaks.   
"What?! That's crazy!"  
"I don't think it is. You want to tell her how you feel, right?"  
"I mean, yeah, if she feels the same. But then when she doesn't-"  
"If. If she doesn't. Which, by the way, is very unlikely." Perfuma smiles.   
"Stop it. Just stop. You and Scorpia keep making it out as if Adora feels a similar way about me as I feel about her."  
"You don't think she does?"  
"I hope she does." Catra mumbles. "But I'm bound to mess it up, Perfuma. Even if she does feel the same, if we got in a relationship, I'd probably say or do something that ruins it! And I don't want to ruin it, because she's..." Catra trails off, but Perfuma doesn't interrupt her.   
"She's Adora. She's got this goofy smile, and this big personality, and I...I like her a lot." Catra admits. "But it doesn't matter. Adora doesn't want me. Not like I want her."  
"You're wrong. I know you are. But Catra, I understand. It's hard, keeping your heart open. It makes you vulnerable, but it doesn't make you weak. And, you have to believe it's worth it. So tell me something; do you think Adora's worth it?" Catra nods vigorously.   
"She's worth it."  
"Then prove it to her." Perfuma stands. "We'll have this room service you've promised Adora, and then maybe you can ask her to go out with you tonight. Maybe take her for a walk down the beach?" Catra stands too, and sighs.   
"So you think I should be honest with her?" Catra asks. Perfuma smiles.   
"Yes. Between you and me, I think she likes you too." That thought gives Catra hope, her heart fluttering a little. As she and Perfuma walk out of the room, Catra's phone vibrates in her pocket. She pulls it out, and smiles at the notification:   
Instagram- adoragrayskull started following you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, whilst i was doing some research for this, i found out that noelle claimed that scorpia's favourite band would be fleetwood mac. as for catra and adora's tastes in music, i simply looked into recurring artists in their spotify playlists.


	7. you caught my attention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> catra and adora go to an evening festival on their first night in salineas.

"So, where do you want to go?" Adora asks, flicking through some clothes in the closet.  
"I'm not sure."  
"What do you usually do when you come to Salineas?" Adora inquires.  
"We've only been twice, and we didn't come until the actual day of our concert, so I don't know what attractions there are." Catra explains, picking up a red top.  
"I'll have a look on Google, see what I can find." Adora says, pulling out her phone.  
"New case?" Catra asks. Adora flips over her phone case, to reveal a orange and pink flurry of colour, with a dash of white through the centre. Adora's cheeks turn pink.  
"It's the-" She begins.  
"Lesbian flag? It's no big deal. There's one in my bedroom behind my bed." Catra reveals. Adora smiles at this.  
"Didn't count you as a pink girl." Adora comments.  
"What can I say? Can't change my sexuality." Catra shrugs, smiling. Adora smiles back, before looking down to type into Google. She makes some humming noises.  
"D'you think I might suit these shorts? I bought them the other weekend, but I'm not sure about them." The brunette holds up a pair of ripped dark blue shorts. Adora regards them for a moment.  
"I like them. I think you'll suit them." She replies. Catra puts the shorts on her bed, along with the red top.  
"Hey, did you see where I put my belts?" She asks.  
"The little cupboard in the closet. Want me to grab them whilst I'm here?" Adora asks.  
"Yeah. I'm thinking the black one with the golden buckle." Catra muses.  
"This one?" Adora holds up said belt, earning a nod from her roommate. The blonde tosses the belt to the brunette, who catches it swiftly.  
"Thanks. I'm gonna go change." Catra walks through to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Adora smiles to herself as she picks out her outfit. She tosses the dress she's currently wearing into the closet, and replaces it with a sleeveless white turtleneck, and a pair of blue shorts. She pulls out her hair, redoing it in her signature poofed-ponytail. She sorts through some little bracelets in a box from her suitcase. She selects a pink bracelet, and a rainbow bracelet.  
"They're cute." Adora jumps at the sound of Catra's voice, but blushes at the compliment nonetheless.  
"Thank you." She picks up her phone from the side.  
"Did you find anything?" Catra inquires.  
"There's this awesome festival downtown, but the tickets are all sold." Adora frowns.  
"You know, I don't think that'll be a problem." Catra smirks. 

An hour later, Catra and Adora are walking into the festival Adora had found.  
"There's gotta be a law against what you just did." Adora laughs. Catra smirks at her.  
"Oh please. I'm famous." The brunette puts specific emphasis on 'famous', letting the word roll off her tongue in a cocky way.  
"I think that's a little too far." Adora scoffs.  
"I think you're just amazed." Catra returns, eyes sparkling with mirth.  
"Am not." Adora folds her arms.  
"By the way, it's not illegal, how I got in. Any tourist performers, like me and Scorpia for example, get free access to events like this. Pretty cool, huh?" Catra explains.  
"That is cool. What about the partner's of the performers?" Adora asks.  
"What are you implying?" Catra runs her eyes over Adora, which is enough to bring a blush to the blonde's cheeks.  
"I mean, like, Perfuma and Scorpia. Yeah." Adora fumbles with her explanation, amusing Catra.  
"Perfuma gets into places free too. Why d'you ask, anyway? Planning on telling people you're my girlfriend so you can get into places for free?" Catra jokes. Adora snorts.  
"I-um-of course not!" She protests.  
"I'm really hurt that you'd use me like that." Catra speaks, putting a hand on her heart, and a fake frown on her face.  
"I'm sure there are other perks to being your girlfriend." Adora shrugs nonchalantly.  
"You seem pretty interested in my love life." Catra notes. "Something you're not telling me, Princess?" Catra teases. Adora's cheeks light up, her heart pumping faster. She regains herself quickly.  
"Maybe, maybe not." With that, the blonde walks ahead of Catra, leaving the latter stunned. She smiles to herself, letting her heart flutter.

"TURNING SAINTS INTO THE SEA. SWIMMING THROUGH SICK LULLABIES-!" Catra notes how loud the festival atmosphere is, something she has always enjoyed. Adora stands next to her, bellowing the lyrics to Mr Brightside, with a huge grin on her face. Her hair is whipping around her face, the bracelets on her wrist jangling as she raises her hands on the air. Adora turns to face Catra, her eyes sparkling with mirth, and Catra is floored by it. She realises that she feels lucky to be able to see this side of Adora; wild, free, gorgeous. There hasn't been a moment when Catra could say she caught feelings for Adora. They just appeared, as did the recognition of said feelings. But Catra realises in this moment that she loves this blonde girl, dumb hair poof and all. Maybe she's loved her for a while, maybe she's only just fallen in love, but Catra knows that now, she is in love with Adora Grayskull.  
The blonde holds her hand out to Catra, who takes it, as her cheeks flame up. Adora grins, as she swings hers and Catra's hands in the air. The brunette decides to join her in the singing/yelling.  
Once there is an interval, Adora and Catra walk towards some stalls, still hand in hand.  
"How do you feel about burgers?" Adora asks, smiling over at Catra, knowing very well that burgers are Catra's favourite thing to eat.  
"Let's find the nearest stall. I call onions, and cheese. On a brioche." Catra says. Adora's stomach rumbles.  
"Sounds good to me." She agrees. They walk in a comfortable silence, until Adora shouts:  
"There!" The burger van comes into sight.  
"Wanna see me pull another queue jumping trick?" Catra smirks, as Adora's eyes light up.  
"Definitely." The blonde confirms.  
"Then loop your arm around mine." Catra instructs, despite the flaming of her cheeks.  
"You can queue-jump with me, but you gotta be convincing." Catra says. Adora obliges, her own cheeks beginning to redden.  
"You're more muscular than you look." Adora speaks.  
"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult." Catra scoffs. Adora laughs.  
"It was a compliment." She tells. Catra smiles.  
"Better be." She jokes back. With Adora's arm looped in hers, Catra walks forward, and up to the van. She flashes her performer ID, which the server immediately recognises.  
"What can I get for you?" They ask. The person serving is a man in his early twenties.  
"I think you'd better ask my girlfriend first." Catra grins. Adora blushes, but makes her order.  
"Can I have a double cheeseburger with extra onions please?" Adora asks. The server nods.  
"Of course. And for you, Miss Catra?" The server faces the brunette.  
"You know what? I think I'll have the same." Catra grins.  
"Coming right up! Just stand over there and I'll have your orders ready soon." The server smiles. Catra and Adora walk to the side, exchanging a smile.  
"'I think you'd better ask my girlfriend first'." Adora imitates in a whisper. Catra hits her arm lightly.  
"Think we were convincing enough?" She asks, trying to distract herself from how appealing the word 'girlfriend' sounded on Adora's lips.  
"Oh definitely." Adora confirms. "So will I have to keep up this charade all evening?" Her lips curve into a smirk.  
"Well, I don't know. You willing to keep it up?" Catra replies, her lips also curved into a smirk.  
"I think I can manage that." The way Adora looks at Catra, she could almost kiss her. In fact, almost didn't cover it. Catra wondered, if she kissed Adora right now, what would happen.  
"Your order's ready!" The server calls. Adora hurries to the counter, collecting the food. Catra comes behind, with the cash to pay.  
"Catra-" Adora begins.  
"I'm paying." Catra states, handing over the money. The server wishes them a good evening as they walk away, to which Adora returns. She hands Catra one of the burgers, which the brunette accepts gratefully.  
"So, we've another ten minutes before the tribute band comes back onstage. What do you want to do until then?" Catra asks.  
"I really need a drink. My throat hurts." Adora laughs.  
"You were screaming." Catra replies, laughing along with the blonde. God, she could get used to this. She couldn't place it, but when she was with Adora, she felt this warm sort of content, like everything else didn't matter. Not her mom, not the lousy way her customers treated her, not how much stress her Art major was putting on her- none of it mattered.  
"Hey, you okay?" Adora waved a hand in front of Catra's face.  
"Yeah, yeah, sorry." Catra says.  
"Thinking about something?" Adora asks. Catra shakes her head.  
"It's nothing."  
"You sure about that?" Adora asks.  
"Yeah." Catra lies.  
"You're a terrible liar. I thought I was bad." Adora smiles. Catra turns to face Adora, sighing.  
"The truth's stupid, honestly. Forget about it." She says dismissively. Adora sighs, and tilts Catra's chin to face her.  
"Whatever it is, you can tell me. What are friends for?" Adora smiles.  
"Adora..."  
"I won't let it go." Adora chimes. Catra shakes her head, with a laugh.  
"God, you're persistent. Don't you get it?" Catra asks. Adora tilts her head in confusion.  
"I-" Catra can't even find the words, not knowing what should say. She regards her proximity to Adora, noting how the blonde's thumb and index finger are gripping her chin.  
"To hell with it." She says, causing Adora more confusion. Catra smiles. Even if this messes up their friendship, she'll still have done this. The brunette girl puts a hand on Adora's cheek, and closes her eyes, leaning closer to Adora. The blonde girl's eyes widen, and before any of them can even comprehend it, Catra's lips are on Adora's. The blonde shuts her eyes, accepting the kiss, which amazes Catra. Adora's lips are soft, almost like cashmere. They stay like that for a moment, just the two of them, without the rest of the world. It is Catra who pulls away.  
"Wow." Adora giggles, her cheeks pink, heart hammering. Catra is having a similar reaction, but she clears her throat.  
"Don't ruin it." She manages.  
"Fine." Adora leans in, placing a kiss on Catra's lips, shocking the brunette. If she was dreaming, somebody needed to wake her up now, before it was too late. She was loving this. Adora's hands holding her waist, whilst Catra's arms snake around Adora's neck. It was perfect. When Adora is the one to pull away, Catra smiles.  
"Is this why you were so interested in the perks of being my girlfriend?" She asks, smirking.  
"Because I'm totally in love with you, you mean?" Adora responds, smirking at first, but her eyes go wide, realising what she has just confessed.  
"Yeah, that." Catra replies smoothly.  
"I asked because, well clearly, I'm pretty damn interested in you. The perks are good, but it doesn't compare to-" She waves her arms around, pointing a hand at Catra's lips. "-That." She concludes.  
"Well, for the record, I'm pretty damn interested in you too. Or, as you originally put it, I'm totally in love with you." Catra admits. The smile on Adora's face is enough to make Catra feel better than ever.  
"So, does that mean you'd be my girlfriend?" Adora asks shyly.  
"Now, I might just have to think about that one." Catra teases, placing a thoughtful hand on her chin.  
"I thought about it. Sounds good to me." Catra grins, as Adora hugs her tight. She rolls her eyes, but holds Adora close.


End file.
